Three Rivers District
{{About|the district in England|other uses|Three Rivers (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox settlement
| timezone = GMT
| utc_offset = 0
| timezone_DST = BST
| utc_offset_DST = +1
| settlement_type = Non-metropolitan district
| subdivision_type = Sovereign state
| subdivision_type1 = Constituent country
| subdivision_type2 = Region
| subdivision_type3 = Non-metropolitan county
| subdivision_type4 = Status
| subdivision_type5 = Admin HQ
| subdivision_name = United Kingdom
| subdivision_name1 = England
| subdivision_name4 = Non-metropolitan district
| government_type = Non-metropolitan district council
| leader_title1 = MPs
| established_title1 = Incorporated
| population_density_km2 = auto
| blank1_name = ONS code
| blank2_name = OS grid reference
| name = Three Rivers
| other_name = Three Rivers District
| image_skyline = Church Street, Rickmansworth - geograph.org.uk - 5250876.jpg
| imagesize = 280px
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Church Street, Rickmansworth
| image_shield =
| shield_size =
| shield_alt =
| shield_link =
| image_map = Three Rivers UK locator map.svg
| mapsize = 150px
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Three Rivers shown within Hertfordshire
| subdivision_name2 = East of England
| subdivision_name3 = Hertfordshire
| subdivision_name5 = Rickmansworth
| established_date1 = 1 April 1974
| governing_body = Three Rivers District Council
| leader_name1 = Gagan Mohindra
| area_total_km2 = 88.8
| area_rank = {{English district area rank|GSS=E07000102}} (of {{English district total}})
| population_total = {{English district population|GSS=E07000102}}
| population_as_of = {{English statistics year}}
| population_rank = {{English district rank|GSS=E07000102}} (of {{English district total}})
| demographics_type1 = Ethnicity (2021)
| demographics1_footnotes = {{NOMIS2021|id=E07000102|title=Three Rivers Local Authority|access-date=5 January 2024}}
| demographics1_title1 = Ethnic groups
| demographics1_info1 =
{{Collapsible list
| 77.1% White
| 15.2% Asian
| 3.6% Mixed
| 2.4% Black
| 1.7% other
}}
| demographics_type2 = Religion (2021)
| demographics2_title1 = Religion
| demographics2_info1 =
{{Collapsible list
| 47.6% Christianity
| 30.8% no religion
| 17.9% other
| 3.7% Islam
}}
| blank1_info = 26UJ (ONS)
E07000102 (GSS)
| blank2_info = {{gbmappingsmall|TQ0591494481}}
}}
Three Rivers is a local government district in south-west Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Rickmansworth. The district borders Hertsmere, Watford, St Albans, Dacorum, Buckinghamshire, and the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Harrow.
History
Three Rivers District was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of two former districts and most of a third, which were all abolished at the same time:{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=12 May 2023}}
- Chorleywood Urban District
- Rickmansworth Urban District
- Watford Rural District, except the parish of Aldenham, which went to Hertsmere, and the part within the designated area of Hemel Hempstead New Town, which went to Dacorum.
The new district was named "Three Rivers", referencing the rivers Chess, Colne, and Gade which flow through the district and have their confluence in Rickmansworth, the largest town in the district.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=551|access-date=12 May 2023}}
Governance
{{Infobox legislature
| name = Three Rivers District Council
| native_name =
| transcription_name =
| legislature =
| logo_pic = Three Rivers District Council.svg
| logo_res = 200px
| house_type = Non-metropolitan district
| body =
| houses =
| leader1_type = Chair
| leader1 = Stephen King
| party1 =
Labour
| election1 = 20 May 2025{{cite web |title=New Chair 'honoured' to take on civic role |url=https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/news/new-chair-takes-civic-role-2025 |website=Three Rivers District Council |access-date=26 May 2025 |date=23 May 2025}}
| leader2_type = Leader
| leader2 = Stephen Giles-Medhurst
| party2 =
Liberal Democrats
| leader3_type = Chief Executive
| leader3 = Joanne Wagstaffe
| party3 =
| election3 = 3 February 2020{{cite web |title=Three Rivers appoints new Chief Executive |url=https://www.threerivers.gov.uk/news/three-rivers-appoints-new-chief-executive |website=Three Rivers District Council |access-date=15 May 2023 |date=8 January 2020}}
| members = 39 councillors
| structure1 = Three Rivers District Council 2024 August.svg
| structure1_res = 250px
| political_groups1 =
;Administration (19)
: {{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal Democrats (19)}}
;Other parties (20)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Conservative (12)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}|border=darkgray}} Green (3)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}|border=darkgray}} Labour (3)
: {{Color box|{{party color|Independent politician}}|border=darkgray}} Independent (2)
| committees1 =
| committees2 =
| joint_committees =
| voting_system1 = First past the post
| last_election1 = 2 May 2024
| next_election1 = 7 May 2026
| session_room = Three Rivers House, June 2025.jpg
| session_res =
| meeting_place = Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3{{nbsp}}1RL
| website = {{URL|threerivers.gov.uk/}}
| footnotes =
|}}
Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including Three Rivers District Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services. In some areas there is an additional third tier of civil parishes.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|access-date=3 March 2023}}
=Responsibilities=
Three Rivers District Council carries out a variety of district council functions including:
- Benefits - Housing and Council Tax
- Car Parking
- Concessionary Travel
- Council Tax - Administration and Collection
- Elections and Electoral Registration
- Environmental Health
- Food Safety and Hygiene Complaints
- Noise Pollution and Pest Control
- Housing Administration
- Licensing
- Caravan Sites
- Town Planning
- Public Conveniences
- Health and Leisure Centres
- Refuse Collection
- Recycling
- Tourism and Visitor Information
=Political control=
The council has been under no overall control since a by-election in August 2024, having previously been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2018. The leaders of the council have been Liberal Democrats (or their predecessors, the SDP–Liberal Alliance) since 1986, including through some periods of minority administrations.
The first election to Three Rivers District Council was held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control since 1974 has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=5 March 2025 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Three Rivers" in search box to see specific results.){{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/08/html/26uj.stm | title = Three Rivers | access-date = 2009-09-25 | work = BBC News Online | date=19 April 2008}}
| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2"| Party in control !! Years | |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1974–1976 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | 1976–1986 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1986–1987 |
| {{Party name with colour|SDP–Liberal Alliance}} | 1987–1988 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | 1988–1990 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1990–1999 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | 1999–2015 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2015–2016 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | 2017–2018 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2018–2018 |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | 2018–2024 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 2024- |
=Leadership=
The leaders of the council since 1986 have been:
=Composition=
Following the 2024 election and by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2025, the composition of the council was:{{cite news |title=Three Rivers election result |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/england/councils/E07000102|date=3 May 2024|access-date=19 May 2024 |work=BBC News}}{{cite news |last1=Boothroyd |first1=David |title=Grand post-election roundup |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/2024/05/grand-post-election-roundup-6/ |access-date=29 May 2024 |work=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |date=10 May 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=Bryn |title=Election Result: Lib Dems lose majority on Three Rivers council after Tories win by-election |url=https://www.mynewsmag.co.uk/election-result-lib-dems-lost-majority-on-three-rivers-council-after-tories-win-by-election/ |access-date=25 August 2024 |work=My Local News |date=23 August 2024}}
| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2 | Party ! Councillors | |
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} | align=center|19 |
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} | align=center|12 |
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} | align=center|3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} | align=center|3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} | align=center|2 |
| colspan=2| Total
! 39 |
|---|
The next election is due in May 2026.{{cite web |title=Three Rivers |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=three_rivers |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=30 March 2025}}
=Premises=
The council's main offices are at Three Rivers House on Northway in the centre of Rickmansworth, which was purpose-built for the council in 1991. The site had been part of the grounds of Basing House, which had bought by the old Rickmansworth Urban District Council in 1930 to serve as its headquarters.{{cite news |title=Tour the council |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=15 May 2023 |work=Harefield Gazette |date=9 October 1991 |page=3}}{{cite news |title=Rickmansworth: Basing House |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=7 November 2023 |work=Buckinghamshire Examiner |date=14 November 1930 |page=1}}
Elections
{{Further|Three Rivers District Council elections}}
Since the last boundary changes in 2014 the council has comprised 39 councillors representing 13 wards, each of which elects three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, electing one councillor from each ward each time. Elections to Hertfordshire County Council are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no district council elections.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Three Rivers (Electoral Changes) Order 2014|year=2014|number=243|accessdate=15 May 2023}}
=Wards=
The wards of the district are:
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
- Abbots Langley and Bedmond
- Carpenders Park
- Chorleywood North and Sarratt
- Chorleywood South and Maple Cross
- Dickinsons
- Durrants
- Gade Valley
- Leavesden
- Moor Park and Eastbury
- Oxhey Hall and Hayling
- Penn and Mill End
- Rickmansworth Town
- South Oxhey
{{div col end}}
=Wider politics=
==County council==
For elections to Hertfordshire County Council, the district is divided into six divisions, three of which are held by the Conservatives, and three by the Liberal Democrats:
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Hertfordshire County Councillors for divisions in Three Rivers{{cite web|url=https://democracy.hertfordshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1|title=Hertfordshire's County Councillors|access-date=12 September 2021|work=Hertfordshire County Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912172608/https://democracy.hertfordshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1|archive-date=12 September 2021|url-status=live}} ! Division ! Councillor ! colspan=2 | Party |
| Abbots Langley
| Sara Bedford | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |
| Croxley
| Chris Lloyd | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |
| Rickmansworth East and Oxhey Park
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| Rickmansworth West
| Paula Hiscocks | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| South Oxhey and Eastbury
| Christopher Alley | {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} |
| Three Rivers Rural
| Phil Williams | {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} |
==Parliament==
For parliamentary elections, the entire district has been part of the South West Hertfordshire constituency since the 2024 general election.{{cite web|url=https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/678866_2023-06-27-final-recommendations-local-authority-ward-data.xlsx|title=Final recommendations local authority ward data|website=Boundary Commission for England|access-date=27 August 2024}} The constituency is not quite coterminous with the district, however, as it also contains the ward of Kings Langley from the Dacorum district.{{cite web|url=https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituency-boundaries-in-england-volume-two-constituency-names-designations-and-composition/the-2023-review-of-parliamentary-constituency-boundaries-in-england-volume-two-constituency-names-designations-and-composition-eastern/#lg_south-west-hertfordshire-cc-71552|title=The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – Eastern|access-date=27 August 2024|website=Boundary Commission for England}} The current MP is Gagan Mohindra of the Conservative Party.
Rail
Train services are provided by Chiltern Railways and the Metropolitan line of the London Underground.
London Underground stations:
Chiltern Railways stations:
A special fare structure exists as the stations are outside the Greater London boundary.
London Overground stations:
West Coast Main Line stations:
Settlements
Civil parishes
Three Rivers is partially parished. There are six civil parishes in the district:{{cite web|url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/|title=Election Maps|access-date=25 September 2021|work=Ordnance Survey}}
There are also two unparished areas in the district, both comprising parts of the former Rickmansworth Urban District which have not subsequently been added to a parish: one larger area including Maple Cross and Mill End, Rickmansworth; and a smaller area including part of Loudwater.
Footnotes
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Three Rivers District}}
{{Coord|51|38|19.28|N|0|28|9.46|W|display=title|region:GB_type:adm3rd}}
{{Hertfordshire}}
{{East of England}}
{{Civil parishes of Hertfordshire}}
{{Authority control}}